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Saturday, November 18, 2017

Metal Reviews done by Ander's posted on 11-18-17

I guess this is part of the "retro-Thrash" movement that has been taking place the last decade, or so? Or, has it been fifteen years, already? I don't really know when/where the arbitrary lines are/were drawn. All I can say is this is - definitely - Thrash. I'm not sure what to make of it, yet. I'm starting to really not like the "high pitched screams". They are being overdone, in my not so humble opinion. While it sets them apart from other Thrash bands, it's just too fucking annoying. It's grating on my nerves heavily. Goddamn. "Shut the fuck up, bitch" - is all I can think and they just keep coming. The music - itself - is quite adept. But does the dude doing the vocals have a tampon stuck in his twat too deep or something? Apologies for being so blatantly vulgar, here...but what the fuck? It's starting to get embarrassing. I think it was the first (or second?) Death Angel album that had "periodic" screams like this (yes, another "menses" joke thrown in by accident - wearing white pants when it strikes, boys? Is that your problem?). But it was just once in a while. These vocals are that high pitched throughout entire songs. Gag. I can't continue listening to this... I doubt they will stray too far from their formulaic - already been done before - Thrash presentation. All I see is pigtails and sun dresses, as I leave.

This is like gazing into an abyss-like ritual chamber of iniquitous proportions. The ephemeral demon-spirits swirl around the boiling to the brim cauldron as chanting devotees proclaim their souls to a higher disorder. There's some scenery from the 1981 movie "Dragonslayer" floating through my mind as this unbridled chaos continues. Maybe, some of the darkness of "Pan's Labyrinth", as well. Every once in a while there's a discordant droning passage of guitars that's reminiscent of Immolation (that unhinging of melancholy, madness, and despair type of thing). As colossal walls come crashing down - so do the gods that represent them! All hail the rendering of emptiness that washes through all mirages of certainty! Where faith is only seen as a misguided notion and the absolute is portrayed via absolution without repentance. A sanctum replete with all things manifest without definitions given. Glory be to nothing...and so it is.

So, I open this review up on the third song - titled "Wrist Slitter". Nice song title - that is! Perfect melancholy drenched representation of this Black Metal display. The music of this seven song requiem to a life filled with suffering has some "basic" Black Metal leanings but with a fair share of "quirky pleasantries". There's a few "progressive" rock tinges here and there, as well as some "traditional Metal" lurking between the "mandatory" galloping horses type blasting drums and tremolo picked guitars. The song "Lament" has some surprising arpeggiated solo passages. A few songs back I heard kind of a Thrash inspired drum attack. The vocals have that "screaming in a chasm trapped by despair" vibe about them. Goes well with the bleak starkness of the music in general. This release seems like one of those where you'll find new things in it each time you listen to it. It deserves another listen by me, even...there's an unspoken personal invitation to do just that. The last song - almost - has a "Power Metal" type ambiance to it. Interesting.